A Full Day

Norm Helzer sent us tickets for the Lincoln Center Kiwanis Club Pancake Luncheon this noon, and we had a great time. Pictured are Dayle, Elaine, Bill and I. Dayle was the head of the NE Natural  Resources Commission during the '80's and my boss. I sponsored him in the Club and he just completed his 30th year. Bill was a good friend back in those days when I was in the Club and headed the 4-H programs in the State with the Extension Service. I had an opportunity to visit with many old friends whom I hadn't seen in some time. Rich was on the Commission staff and told of their breakfast meetings. Gary was with NRCS and is now the Kiwanis Lt. Gov. for District 21. He and son Jon are old friends so we had a lot to talk about. I also visited with Clinton and his wife, Imogene, who are old friends from SCS Days. Elaine was able to visit with Val and Darlene. Val was actually my sponsor in to the Lincoln Center club. We drove back to Seward on Highway #6 and saw some things we hadn't seen for a while. It has been a full day with an Auction this morning, Kiwanis Luncheon, Nebraska 27-Indiana 22 football game, Cleveland 2-Toronto 1 baseball and Chicago Cubs leading the L.A. Dodgers 3-0 in the 4th inning. Plus our talking to both Tim and Jon this evening.

Jack's Pennies and Julia Child's Desk

Jack visited us this morning and learned that his Texaco Truck was a "bank" to put pennies in as well as his "Piggy Bank". We had gone down to the lower level earlier, and he walks right to the record player to get the Polka music going and then picks a model truck off the shelves to play with. He has even discovered that the TV there gets the same PBS Kid's program that he sees in the living room. He is in all his glory when he can play with models on the coffee table, listen to Polka music, watch "T" and have me sitting on the couch watching him do all these things. I continued to work on the bookshelves in the storage room this afternoon and found some books I didn't remember ever having. 

One of these is "From The Desk Of" by Hal Drucker and Sid Lerner. It was published by Narcort Brace Jovanovich; copyright 1989. It is an 83 page, 10 by 10 1/2 inch hardback, slick paged publication which features a picture of 42

celebrities of that era with a picture of them sitting at their desk and a story on them on the facing page. I have included the coverage of Julia Child. The narratives provide interesting stories on each of the celebrities.

Tiger Woods

While sorting collections of old magazines last week, I came across this November 1996 Golf Digest that featured Tiger Woods. While I subscribed to the Digest for a number of years, this is the only issue I still have. It's ironic that it was just 20 years ago that it was being asked, "Is this Kid Superman". Earlier this week, in withdrawing from the Safeway Open, he said, "After a lot of soul searching and honest reflection, I know that I am not yet ready to play on the PGA Tour," he said. "My health is good, and I feel strong, but my game is vulnerable and not where it needs to be." Tiger is 40 years old with a generation of young golfers filling the void, but none with the excitement that many of us had watching him during his "glory years". He is younger than Phil Mickelson and other notables on the tour but questions are being raised as to, if and when he will be ready. The next likely opportunity will come in December. I hope he can come back and play competitively. He doesn't have to win any more majors, but just seeing him play a good game would be inspiring. Meanwhile, I will hold on to the Magazine and may even have the opportunity to use it some day as an example of how personal decisions can trump ability and keep potential  and reputation from being realized and in tact.

Family Generations

Carolyn drove as we took Verlon to the Lincoln Airport to catch his United Airlines flight back to Richmond, VA. He called after getting home early this afternoon. We were able to get many little and some big things done while he was here. We were also able to do a lot of high quality "visiting" while he was here. He mentioned several things that happened when the kids were little that we had no idea that he remembered. We also enjoyed watching a lot of baseball together where we shared memories. After taking our oldest son to the airport, we came home to take care of our young Great Grandson. He is learning new words every day and for the first time, has put two words together. His favorite words are those where he tightens his lips and pops them open with the word. I wonder what he will remember.

He and Elaine watch a bit of "T" after he has ridden his "Hobby Horse" and played with several things from the big toy box. When I get home, he's ready to go to the lower level where there is Polka Music and Model trucks and tractors. He loves to have me take his hands, which he raises above his head, and have me "dance" with him by keeping time to the music. He even moved his feet around a bit this morning in time with the music. His favorite toys seem to be the Red Texaco truck and the Green John Deere tractors. He even goes, "Pop, pop, pop" pushing the JDs.

Tees and Trees

 It has been said that, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" so this afternoon, Verlon and I went out to the Driving Range at the Golf Course and hit some balls. My right shoulder has "stiffened up" since I quit playing golf on a regular basis 3 years ago so I hit several "dull" shots. Verlon has never really played the game and his "baseball swing" also produced some dull shots. One reason for going to the Driving Range was to get a cart which enabled us to also check out a couple trees that I planted several years ago and continued to "nurture" them during my golfing years. 

 I am standing in front of a Spruce tree with a White Pine down the hill a ways and to the left of the Spruce. A few years ago the Spruce was infested with Bag Worms while Verlon was here, and we spent part of an afternoon "picking them off". We grew both of these trees from seedling out at our farm in the 1980's, brought them into town as small trees and moved them out to the Golf Course. The Spruce was planted out there is 1999 and the Pine in 2002. Both were planted as "Memorials" to dear friends. We stopped by at the Walnut planting done about 10 years ago and saw considerable growth. 

Columbus Day

During a break in the action this afternoon, Verlon commented on the Father's Day Card he sent me last June. He wondered if Elaine had taken the cloth seal off the card and put it on one of my jackets. Being the conservative people that we are, we had decided to keep it intact and in a safe place. He had written a nice message on the inside that was even more impressive than the "seal". He had another good day of home maintenance that ranged all the way from changing a light bulb in the stairway to calking around the bath tub, to repair on a backyard fence post, to planting some Iris rhizomes, etc. We also enjoyed having Jack at our house this morning.  He has always been an inspiration to have around but now that he is learning to talk, he is most entertaining. Verlon has long been a Red Sox fan and a Nationals fan for several years. While we were disappointed in seeing the Red Sox eliminated, we have been pleased with the Nationals play. It's also great to see the Chicago Cubs looking good. The Cubs were my "first" team going back to when a radio announcer would "broadcast" their games with the telegraph clicking in the background. I was probably 12 years old before I found out he didn't see the game

A Fun Sunday

I never thought our Red Oak would become an attraction for climbing at the time we planted it several years ago.  We had hoped that it would provide shade for the deck which has certainly been achieved. Verlon has kept it trimmed to where it has an ideal shape. John and Julie brought Sadie and Jack down to the Seward Fire Hall where they were able to ride on a Fire Truck. Then we all went to Goehner where an Open House was held at the Museum. Free train rides were also provided which was a big draw. We had been through the Main building but were impressed by the newer ones.

 These newer buildings house a great collection of farm machinery, tractors, yard and garden equipment along with many old unusual items. They ranged all the way from a Deluxe 1953 Chevy to a bicycle equipped to go down railroad tracks. Yesterday, Verlon took a picture of his shadow shown on the Red Oak tree trunk as the sun was rising. I thought that looked interestingly weird so this morning I tried it. I had on my long bathrobe which accounts for the shape.